Abstract

RUIZ, María Teresa et al. The gender approach in health-related newspaper articles. Gac Sanit [online]. 2004, vol.18, n.5, pp.65-74. ISSN 0213-9111.

Objectives: To use a gender approach to analyze the content of health-related articles affecting both sexes (cancer, heart attack and smoking) or mainly women (anorexia, domestic violence and abortion), published in newspapers in the 1990s. To provide recommendations for writing news with a gender-sensitive approach. Material and methods: Analysis of the above-mentioned topics in articles published in the national Spanish daily newspapers El País, ABC and El Mundo (1991-1999). Data sources: computerized databases of the newspapers. Sample of 1358 articles published in the national edition containing selected terms (battering [57], anorexia [79], heart attack [118], abortion [330], smoking [350], cancer [422]). Concepts studied: visibility, empowerment and equality. Interview with key informers. Results: Thirty-eight percent of newspaper articles that identified the sex of journalists were signed by women. As the main protagonists of the feature, men (73%) were more visible than women (40%). Women mainly appeared as patients (14%) whereas men mainly appeared as politicians (29%) and physicians (24%). Conclusions: Despite the efforts made in the 1990s, the gender approach in health-related newspaper articles should be increased.

Keywords : Media; Gender; Equality; Empowerment; Sexism; Myocardial Infarction; Cancer; Smoking; Battering; Anorexia; Abortion.